Sole Survivor
The Sole Survivor is the title held by the winner of the reality TV show, Survivor, determined by a plurality of votes from the jury, who decides which of the finalists best embodies the show's three word slogan: "Outwit, Outplay, Outlast." Criteria Though there is no one absolute strategy of winning the title, as it is subjective, but to be a Sole Survivor, a contestant must survive all 39 days of competition and gain the respect of most recently eliminated contestants, a group known as the jury. At the Final Tribal Council, the finalists are to be subjected to the jury, who would either ask questions or make a statement to help them come up with a decision as to which of the finalists is most deserving of the title of Sole Survivor and the one million dollar prize. All Sole Survivors are known to embody the show's three-word premise: * Outwit: The strategic element; the ability to eliminate competition whether directly or indirectly, knowing what moves to make, not to make, and the timing of doing such moves. The fulfillment of this element is commonly attributed by making alliances. * Outplay: The social element; it is how a contestant carries out the "outwit" element, eliminating competition but keeping their respect such that they still give their jury votes in the end. As such, it is the job of the finalist to still sway the jury to his favor. * Outlast: The physical element; the ability to withstand the harsh realities of being a contestant for 39 days, such as harsh weather, tests of willpower, and in a certain extent, challenges. The fulfillment of this element is making it to the Final Tribal Council and facing the jury. It should be noted that in the game of Survivor respect does not always translate into likability. In any case, a Sole Survivor has one way or another, fulfilled all three elements of Outwit, Outplay, Outlast. In Survivor: One World, the principle "perception is not always reality" is introduced by eventual winner Kim Spradlin, stating that in order to win the game, a player must match his or her "perception", or what he or she thinks is happening, with "reality", or what is actually happening. The finalists succumb to certain pitfalls such as poor work ethic, bad challenge performances, coming off as abrasive to fellow competitors, and lack of self-awareness. As such, it is the job of the finalist to still sway the jury to their favor. Prizes The Sole Survivor receives a check of $1,000,000, to be received after the season finale. Earlier winners additionally received a car that is usually similar to the one given at the Reward Challenge where a car was also given, though this has been abandoned since Survivor: Cook Islands. The winner, and all contestants present in the live Reunion Show will also receive an extra $10,000 appearance fee, which immediately follows the finale broadcast. Furthermore, the Sole Survivor is still eligible for winning the Fan Favorite Award. All cash prizes are taxable at the U.S. rate of 35% leaving the winner $600,000. List of Sole Survivors